Microelectromechanical devices (MEMS) consist of tiny “micromachines” which use electricity to move very small structures. In the optics world, MEMS have been most widely used to attempt to make optical cross-connects that use a series of micromirrors to steer light from one fiber to another fiber.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a MEMS optical cross-connect 100 of the prior art. A group of fibers 102, 104, 106, 108 are arranged in an aligned manner so that light leaving one of the fibers 108 will traverse an air gap 110 and enter another fiber 104 aligned with the first fiber 108. Similarly, light from a different fiber 106 exiting the fiber 106 will enter a different fiber 102 aligned with it. A MEMS micromirror 112 that is moveable into and out of the air gap 110 is also provided. The movement of the micromirror 112 into and out of the air gap 110 affects where light exiting a fiber into the air gap 110 goes and thus, can be used to steer light exiting a fiber to different fibers depending upon the micromirror's 112 position. For example, when the micromirror 112 is not in the air gap 110, i.e. in the position shown in FIG. 1, the light travels straight through the air gap 110. However, when the micromirror 112 is moved into the air gap 110, as is shown in FIG. 2, the light will be steered to an adjacent fiber. In other words, light leaving one of the fibers 106 when the micromirror 112 is in the position of FIG. 1 will enter the fiber 102 directly across from it. Whereas, with the miocromirror 112 in the position of FIG. 2, light leaving the same fiber 106 will be steered to a different fiber 104.
Presently however, to the extent such micromachine cross-connects even exist, their use is limited and they are configured as stand alone elements.
Thus, there is a need in the art for more versatile MEMS devices that can be more easily used in conjunction with active optical devices.